India deploys thousands of police ahead of voter-roll protests
Security was stepped up in New Delhi before rallies demanding the ECI chief’s resignation. Opposition parties say the voter-roll revision could disenfranchise voters.
Thousands of police were deployed in New Delhi ahead of protests planned for Saturday calling for the Election Commission of India (ECI) chief to resign. Demonstrations are linked to the commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, which it says is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries. Opposition parties and critics fear the exercise could disenfranchise voters and benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ECI rejects allegations of wrongdoing.
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, joined protests in the capital. Gandhi was briefly detained during a rally earlier this week. The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement called for a mass demonstration on October 10. The Associated Press reported that protests also took place in Bengaluru on October 8, where demonstrators likewise demanded the resignation of election chief Gyanesh Kumar.
More than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in the capital, the Press Trust of India reported. Metal barricades were installed in central areas, restricting access to Jantar Mantar, the government-designated protest site. Police did not authorise rallies there. A police letter to the metro operator, cited by local media, said entry and exit gates at 57 Delhi Metro stations could close from 9 p.m. on October 9 until the situation normalised on October 10. Local reports also said several incoming trains at two major railway stations had been cancelled.
INDIA bloc leaders were expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu on Friday and raise concerns about the ECI and its chief, Gyanesh Kumar. CJP said police were detaining its volunteers and supporters ahead of the protest, but police did not respond to the allegation. Activist Saurav Das accused Delhi police of acting in the BJP’s interest. Movement leader Abhijeet Dipke said he intended to travel to the capital and join a march to Jantar Mantar.
